A Retinue of Rubble
by Curtain Hero
Summary: Shad and the Resistance have triumphed over darkness, but at the cost of their fair kingdom's capital. When Princess Zelda makes the decision to grant Shad and his friends influential roles in its Restoration, he can't decide if she's made the right choice.


**Prologue**

Three.

The number three was on Shad's mind, and this worried him considerably. Shad regarded himself, above all else, as a scholar - and so that made him, in his eyes, a literate person with no real need to remember numbers or decimals. He certainly wasn't a bean-counting merchant with a greedy, rupee-shaped glint in his eye, and in no way was he an architect doing silly equations and calculating geometry in his head just to lift a simple slab of stone. No, he was a man of words and knowledge of ancient history, and he had the number three stuck on his mind.

The knowledge of ancient history in question reminded him of legends of the Triforce, which were plastered all across the walls of Hyrule Castle, making it hard to ignore that particular three. Three pieces of the Triforce, and three goddesses to go with them.

Arguably, Shad thought, there were also three intelligent races living in the lands of Hyrule. This seemed to be the common opinion amongst most people - although Shad had once brought it up around Link while they were discussing the zora prince he had so gallantly helped to save the life of. It was a passing comment that Shad didn't even remember, such as 'You certainly know how to bring the three races together, don't you, old chap?' or something similarly unnoteworthy, but Link's response after a brief silence had been a simple 'Three?'. Though Link himself probably didn't remember the occasion, Shad could still recall with alarming accuracy the look of confusion that painted the young hero's face.

With the trifecta of races in mind, Shad remembered another bothersome three which was now his sole worry. There were three gorons living in residence within Hyrule Market Town. One originally ran the hot spring water stall near Telma's Bar, Shad's old second home, and the other two ran a sort of family business at the old central plaza viewing platform. They all had three children between them, and had all agreed to pledge their support to the Restoration. Shad wasn't arguing - they looked like very able builders.

There were threes everywhere now that Shad thought about it. He wandered the ruins of Hyrule Castle alone, inspecting everything with eyes of discontent. The force that had destroyed Hyrule Castle originally hadn't gotten everything, but every room and every tower that wasn't actually just a pile of rubble on the grounds themselves were in states of disrepair. Only three towers on the south-eastern side of the grounds remained, and the first two floors on the south-eastern side were the only ones that could actually be traversed as they had, by the looks of things, suffered the least damage. In the room that connected the second floor east and west wings, there were only three suits of armour remaining. The corridors themselves were full to the brim of rubble from the above floors, where they had obviously collapsed inwards. Grey sunlight burnt through the place where there had originally been a stable roofing and beautiful windows, almost mocking Shad - who stood meagerly within the heart of the ruin, just outside the reach of the light.

"What would you do, father...?" Shad muttered to himself, adjusting his glasses to sit rightly in front of his eyes.

While Shad had felt relatively relaxed about his life for the majority of the week, Shad's discomfort soon started to rise near the end of it. In three days, his best friend would be leaving with Princess Zelda to travel her kingdom and beyond - asking for help with the Restoration process.

He wasn't denying that Hyrule needed all the help it could get - and he respected the princess for travelling out with her recently appointed royal bodyguard - the legendary hero, Link - but he felt as though he wasn't worthy of the responsibility given to him. Zelda was unbelievably wise, Shad had thought upon finally meeting her. Far more than the stories would have you believe. It was as if she carried the wisdom of many lifetimes with her, and it was no wonder she had ruled the kingdom so well before the darkness crept in. But giving the responsibility of restoring a kingdom to a nobody scholar? That was a decision he couldn't wrap his head around.

Plus, he was going to miss Link a lot. The man who'd helped Shad put his father's work to rest was not only a valuable ally, but a wonderful friend.

"Ah, Shad." Said a voice, accompanied by the quiet shutting of a door behind it. Shad spun around on his heel to greet it, and lowered himself into a bow as he saw the keeper.

"M-My princess," Shad stuttered, ending his bow quickly. He was embarrassed at being caught this deep into the ruins.

The princess herself simply smiled. "You needn't be so formal. The more you call me 'princess', the more obliged I'll feel to call you 'chancellor', and that's simply something I think neither of us want."

Shad laughed at this. She had him there. "Was there something you needed?" He asked, finally, the princess' jovial nature helping to lighten the otherwise depressingly lit hall.

"Oh... Nothing important. A more pressing matter would be how you've found yourself in here, of all places. Is something the matter?" Zelda asked, forward as ever.

"Well, there are a couple of things. Like how in Din's name we're going to attract more residents when most of Castle Town's living areas have been reduced to ash, or how we're going to convince the goron tribe to allow us their precious stone resources, or how-... how..."

"Shad," The princess began. "you're a smart man, you know. I believe that. These issues are just petty bother for a man of your intelligence - you'll figure them out eventually." She turned around at this point, opening the doors and standing aside for Shad to move through. "Walk with me and tell me what the real problem is."

Shad did so, and couldn't help but remark. "You're... incredible, you know." At this, Zelda smiled again as if she were a caring mother - not bashful or arrogant, simply proud. She followed Shad onto the balcony that overlooked the hall of the first floor. Some makeshift stairs had been built within the first day of reconstruction, before Shad had even been assigned to it. This would've been in the time that she and Link had taken off to Arbiter's Grounds together on some personal, self-imposed mission. That was just after the destruction of the castle itself, too. Zelda made her way down these steps, and Shad followed, continuing his train of thought. "With your guidance, we've really come a lot further in a couple of days than I thought we would. The shelter, the donations, the handling of food - I thought it would take months to reach this level of stability, but here we are."

"And you wonder how you're going to do without me?" Zelda pondered

"It's more that I don't think I'm going to manage without you at all."

"You'll still have your close friends, Shad. Ashei and Telma, for instance. You can find counsel with them, can't you?"

"Well, yes, I mean, I can, but... You see, I don't... want to say they aren't exactly _capable_ with this kind of thing, but, ahh..."

Zelda chuckled at this, perhaps stifling genuine laughter. "Shad, you are a very sweet but very silly man. You still don't know why I chose you for this duty, do you?"

Shad thought about this. He'd joked about it a couple of times with Ashei over a cup of Telma's finest on their breaks because, personally, he never felt the true reason would come up. He didn't want to tell Zelda about the jokes because they were more a way of coping with the absurdity of the situation than anything, so he produced the answer that made the most sense to him. "I always assumed it was my connection to Link through the Resistance that made me a fairly valid choice."

"I suppose you're partially right," Confirmed Zelda after a moment of thought. "Link has told me numerous times of how you and the Resistance aided him in his quest to liberate the kingdom. Though, if you ask me, he speaks of you the most."

Shad stopped at the very bottom stair, Zelda moving onto the lowest floor of the main hall and turning around to face the surprised scholar. "Is that so?" He asked quietly, looking idly at the large breach in the western wall where a tower from above had descended from the explosion and completely knocked through the side of the castle, bringing countless bricks and chandeliers down with it. All cleared away now, though. Only the hole remained.

"As I hear it, he's one of the only men from Ordon of his age. His closest friends have either been younger than him, much older than him, or - if they _are_ his age - they have been female. This trend, I imagine, continued until he met you. If I were to guess, Shad, you're the closest thing Link has to a brother."

"That's..." Shad couldn't help but turn his curious, surprised expression into a big smile. His face practically forced it. "Well, I say. That is quite something, indeed!"

"But," Zelda continued, turning to Hyrule Castle's front door and heading towards it. "that's actually not the main reason I selected you for the position of chancellor."

Shad followed her, finding himself even more interested than he anticipated.

"In reality," She said. "it was your father."

"You... You knew my father?"

"Knew, yes, in the sense that I knew of him. Many of my previous retinue would often speak highly of his works regarding our diverse history. I believe I remember reading about his theories on the ancient deku tribe, and I was advised many times by the archives minister to speak to him about employment."

"Employment, hm? Haha, that would've made the old man smile, indeed. I suppose you had trouble tracking him down, though."

Zelda nodded at this, carefully opening the doors embedded within Hyrule Castle's interior gate. Shad sighed as he was once again confronted by the outside. Once again, Zelda waited for him to move through the door courteously, and he obliged. Surrounding Hyrule Castle was a field of rubble, where most of the towers and walls had collapsed inwards and broken into pieces. Most of the clearing that had already taken place was near the front, where several large tents had been set up near the way back down to Market Town. However, the rather grim truth was that traversing the back of the castle was nearly impossible due to the size and placement of all the dismembered castle parts lying about. It would take some serious strength to clear those out of the way.

"What I'm trying to say, Shad, is that I knew of the extent of the brilliance of your father, and I trust that you can uphold that worthiness with all my heart."

"When you put it like that, Zelda... I will certainly try my hardest."

"Wonderful. On behalf of my kingdom and its future you work so hard to secure, I thank you." Zelda placed her hand on her heart softly at this, and bowed to Shad as if he were the royalty. This confused him a bit, but he smiled and bowed himself. "Anyway," she continued, standing upright, "I will head into town and see to it personally if any of the citizens desire anything. You... may join me, if you wish."

"I'd love to normally, but it's almost midday and I believe that means training will be starting soon."

Zelda's smile was a double-sided smirk. "I didn't know you were also a swordsman, Shad."

"Ah, no, no. I think it just eases the soldiers when they see a friendly face nearby that doesn't wish for their deaths."

"FALL IN." Shouted a female voice, breaking the quiet. Shad saw the owner of this female voice first, walking firmly into the courtyard with her elbow resting on the hilt of her sword as if it were the counter of the local bar. Behind her, marched nine severely under-equipped soldiers who formed three rows behind the woman in shining, silver armour. Shad noticed that the only other armoured soldiers were the three at the head of each row - the ones behind them were wearing leather or wood.

They headed for a nearby training tent at the woman's order, which had been set up on the west side of the main courtyard, right where the sea of rubble begin. On the soft dirt next to that tent, there were several wooden posts in the ground to mark a small arena area for practice fights.

"My princess," Addressed the woman in a flat tone of voice which, as Shad knew, was completely natural for her. "Strange seeing you here." She remarked, bluntly. "Maybe you'd like to watch the men flail their weapons about, yeah? Motivate them a bit, y'know."

"While I would find it gratifying to aid in the training of the brave young men of Hyrule whom pledge to fight for its protection, I have a couple of other arrangements in town that are keeping me up at the moment. Another time, perhaps?" Zelda suggested, leading the stark woman to nod in response. With that, Zelda made a content exit and left the two friends alone outside of Hyrule Castle as a loud cluttering emanated from the tent nearby.

"Embarrassing, isn't it." Remarked Ashei as soon as she judged the radiant princess to be out of earshot. In hindsight, it was probably pretty poor judgement

"What is?"

"Well, you know. She's the beautiful, powerful and wise princess we all broke our backs to save, yeah? But while we got her back, we forgot to bring her kingdom with her. Look around, Shad, nine measly soldiers and a pile of rubble for a castle doesn't fit a woman like her. You get me?"

Shad smiled, with a tinge of sorrow cracking on the side. "I don't think she minds too much."

"You do know what you just said, yeah? Almost her entire kingdom was wiped out by the incarnation of evil and you think she 'doesn't mind too much'. Come on, Shad, there's got to be something in there."

Not knowing whether she was talking about the internal affairs of the princess or just Shad's skull, the bemused young man followed his new charge into the tent full of fresh-faced gentlemen of various age ranges and physical complexion. They glanced at him, some of them crying out for help with their eyes, silently pleading for Shad to give them an excuse not to train today, while others just gave him a puzzled look, recognising that he was somewhat out of place. All of them, however, had an air of tiredness about them. Training hadn't even begun yet, and Shad knew they were all tired from duty. It must be tough, guarding the walls of a destroyed world, when there's only nine of you.

Nine plus Ashei, of course. More to come, too, hoped the out of place man. Ashei looked back at him expectantly. "I suppose that would make one a little... depressed, yes. Don't you think she's done an excellent job of not showing it, though?" Shad responded, a little hesitant at being the only one speaking in a cramped tent full of men preparing for pseudo battles.

"She has done an excellent job," Ashei agreed, looking at Shad while sharpening her blade loudly, much to the grief of the men. It was like knives across their ear drums. "I just think it's time we treat her. Maybe take her down to Telma's for a drink, yeah?"

"You want to take the princess of Hyrule down to the bar? My, that's... brash of you. I'm a little impressed." Shad couldn't help but chuckle, and he noted that some of the other guards in the room were smiling too as they busied themselves with organising their equipment.

"Remember how Telma always used to go on about the secret passage leading from her bar to Hyrule Castle, yeah? I bet that's because our beloved princess was a bit of a lush on the side, if you know what I mean." Finished the girl in armour, throwing her whetstone down. "Alright, enough idling. Get outside, yeah?"

"Yeah." Droned her brigade of exhausted individuals.

"What was that?" She chided in response.

"YEAH!" They yelled, aiming for heartiness, as they clamored outside into the makeshift arena.

Shad followed the quiet ensemble of men out into their tormented courtyard and took a meek position to the side, more looking into the action rather than taking part. Ashei barked the names of two guards and ordered them to begin sparring to see if they had improved. It was one of the better suited men against a younger opponent, wearing a wooden plank kept over his chest by two ropes instead of a proper breastplate.

With a sharp "BEGIN!" from their pale, stone-faced captain, the two men struck their wooden poles against each other and, though Shad assumed that one of them was lacking in skill, they entered a surprising flurry of one-on-one combat. The swift knocks of smooth wood on smooth wood made the chaotic rhythm of their movements, and the grunts of their attacks made the beat. Shad had not always enjoyed watching people train or spar, he'd only really been there on principle that he was required as an onlooker so somebody (Ashei) didn't hurt themselves. Or, what was more like, hurt someone else.

However, over time, he'd grown a small level of intrigue surrounding the pastime. It wasn't quite the thrill or the adrenaline of it - though he admitted that it was spectacular to witness - but the sportsmanship involved. Even now, watching someone underequipped and borderline inexperienced (in comparison to someone as grizzled as their opponent, who had clearly seen the fall of Hyrule and been fighting for its protection at the time) keep up with someone who was not.

He used his speed to his advantage, wearing down the more defensive opponent who was clearly growing quite the sweat on his brow and had little time to make any rebuttals. Shad looked to Ashei, clearly holding a mildly impressed expression because when she noticed his gaze, she returned it with a slightly accomplished little smile before turning her head immediately back to the combat, making sure she appeared as hard as she sounded.

"Hurry it up, yeah? We can't afford to watch you two be intimate all afternoon. Get some hits in!" She snapped.

Needless to say, she was admired for good reason. Not only because of her terrifying presence - which Shad was sure would make an entire guard detail afraid of her one day - but because of her own physical prowess and her ability to train soldiers that she had undoubtedly inherited from her father up in the mountains. The decision to make her captain of the guard was a decision that Shad could perfectly understand.

Secretly, too, he was pleased with the fact that their new roles didn't put any distance between them. Even with the princess' supportive words, he wasn't sure he'd be able to cope without Ashei.

Not to imply that he wouldn't miss the others, of course. Auru and Rusl had already left Hyrule Market Town before the Restoration had properly begun. Rusl, to be with his family again after he'd been without them for so long and Auru to pursue what had apparently been some kind of personal, self-imposed quest in Gerudo Desert. While Telma remained, she was busier than ever running her bar and trying to organise the homeless and the hungry down in the town that Shad hardly ever saw her. He was positive she would manage, though. To take down a woman like that, he thought, you'd need a goron army and then some.

Every member of the resistance was given their respective mention during the Restoration Ceremony, present or not. As well as Shad, Ashei and Link, Telma had also been offered a position in the princess' new personal retinue, however to Shad's expectation and everyone else's surprise, she formally and politely declined - saying she'd rather not wear a fancy suit for the rest of her life. She accepted the praise of being an influential member of the Resistance rather heartily, though.

That was three months ago, and it had been the strangest day of Shad's life. Happy, for sure, but in the sense that you wake up from a dream feeling happy. The more you think about why it pleased you so much, the less you seem to remember - and the stranger it becomes.

Shad shook his head and ejected the strange feeling from his mind, overseeing the end of the fight. The veteran had won, with more hits to count than the rookie. Shad smiled faintly to himself as the two shook hands, both out of breath.

"Folo, you need to work more on reading your opponent instead of relying solely on your own unpredictability, yeah? It's a good one-off tactic, but it won't last you for an entire fight. Sadin, the same goes for your defensive technique. I saw too many opportunities for you to strike more, and if you had left it a little longer, Folo would have beaten you, yeah? Decent work, but I need a lot more training out of the two of you! Who's next?"

The day continued, and Shad found himself eventually growing tired of watching his friend's arduous training, and so he began to read one of the books from the small satchel at his waist. Naturally, he'd read it before many times. He'd not been able to recover many books from the destruction of Hyrule Market Town, so he was busying himself with rereading lots of old ones while he waited for an opportunity for new ones to come in. This particular book covered the ancient Sheikah Tribe, their evolution and their eventual disintegration.

Shad had often mused over it. It was simply a piece of informative, non-fictional literature, but there was a deep subtext about the consequences and the dangers of misusing power, as the fabled and secretive Sheikah had done so numerous times throughout their existence. Though his enjoyment for the main meat of the book could never really run dry, he found that his favorite part was towards the back – a sort of post script, containing a few collected theories for where and what they are now, if they are anywhere or anything at all.

"Splinter groups…" He mumbled, both remembering and reading at the same time. "Interlopers…"

"Interlopers?" Intruded a voice, which had apparently been near Shad for some time - as he jumped back, away from it. "What're you reading?"

"Ah, Link! You-… You shouldn't sneak up on a fellow when he's engrossed in a book, you know. I'll have you know it can cause some nasty accidents in the wrong scenario!"

The hero in green smiled apologetically, but punched the flustered scholar playfully on the arm all the same. "You know I'm not the sneaky sort. Plus, I think you'll find that in those kinds of scenarios and this one too, it's more the fault of the person who's 'engrossed' in their book for not being aware of their surroundings. I've been sat here for two minutes now."

"You may be right. But as my father always said, you're nowhere near the truth without evidence."

"We'll have to conduct an experiment when we have the time. May I see what you're reading?"

"It's nothing all that special." Shad remarked – passing the un-special book to his friend regardless, "Why? Are you interested in the Sheikah?"

The hero's expression strained as he took the light, albeit pretty sizable book, from the scholar's hands. It was a mix of confusion and apprehension as he kept a close eye on the page Shad had been on and scanned it nonchalantly. It was a face Shad had seen many times, but not particularly a face he expected to see right at this moment. The hero was figuring something out. Solving some great, complex puzzle in his mind – and Shad knew as well as anybody that probing him at this point was useless. "And you criticise me for being unaware of my surroundings…" He muttered to himself.

Link looked up slightly through his messy fringe. "Do you have any other books on these Interlopers?" He asked, finally.

"Well… I certainly should have! But, might I ask what brought this sudden interest on? I never knew you for an academic."

"It's more of a passing interest. Something for when we leave, you know?"

"Don't I know it! The amount of material I'd burn through while galivanting around Hyrule in my youth days with my father would probably astound even me! They're an excellent way to cope with journeys, I think, but not the best for actually digesting any of the information – so do try to be careful if any of this ancient stuff actually interests you, old boy. I'll see if I can't get you a little something in the next three days."

Link smiled and thanked him, but strangely dismissed the subject which had transfixed him so peculiarly just a second ago and focused on something closer to Shad. "You travelled a lot with your father?"

Shad's ensuing smile was a happy grimace – the faraway look that a war veteran gives you when you ask him to describe his personal heroes. He looked past Ashei, past Hyrule and past the sky itself, back into an early age. "A lot, I believe, would be an understatement, my friend. Our home down in Market Town was more like a brief pit-stop for food and a decent bed. My father was a madman for research. He had to test every theory and see every ruin with his own eyes. I suppose, in a way, his jittery and chaotic movements made him quite lonely. I'm sure it didn't matter to him, though. When we travelled, it wasn't ever lonely for the thr- "

Shad's reminiscence had a premature death. He had shivered before the word 'three' could pass his lips. Because there it was again. That peculiar number.

"For the three? Three of you?"

Shad didn't respond at first. He was frowning at his knees thoughtfully. "Hey, hey! You still with me, buddy?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just… my sister. I haven't thought about her for a long time. We travelled together with father, you see. A collection of family adventures, haha." Shad's laugh was a creaking house and the hero noted that he was still looking at his knees. Something had firmly planted Shad, and Link didn't much enjoy seeing his friend so distant. Even the nearby shouts of the men's training growing more intense didn't seem to faze him.

"…I didn't know you had a sister." Commented the princess' bodyguard carefully.

"Like I said, it's been a while since I've thought about her. Goodness me, that sounds awful, doesn't it? It's just that she's been gone from Hyrule for some time now – probably a good four years, maybe less – and what with the… circumstances of her parting, we haven't had much of a chance to communicate."

"That's a shame, Shad. If she's even half the person you are, I'd love to meet her." Assured Link, taking his friend's shoulder and attempting to gently shake him from his trance. "And, hey, if she's keeping up with Hyrule news, she'll definitely hear about the new Chancellor, won't she?" He chuckled infectiously, goading Shad into a smile.

"Thanks, Link. Y-" Shad's gratitude was promptly interrupted by a loud series of shouts and clamoring from the archery area where Ashei's brigade had sortied to at some point. These shouts, however, fell out of the traditional line of command-and-answer that Ashei's regiment usually followed, and fell more into the realm of a fight breaking out. It was the nervous, fearfully excited murmurs of the bystanders and Ashei's overwhelming "OI" s and "ALRIGHT" s as she attempted to break up the two in the center of it all who were, oddly enough, making the least noise of all as they spat and attacked each other.

Link had bolted to his feet almost as soon as the action had drawn his attention, and though Shad did the same, he was a little slower on the draw – more willing to inspect the situation from a distance. Promptly following behind Link gave him a little confidence, however, as the hero in green certainly wasn't a force you wanted to stand in the way of.

"I'm gonna... tear your goddess damned _THROAT_ out you little shit..! LET GO OF ME!"

"Get ahold of yourself, Vermont! This isn't the kind of behavior I'd expect from a veteran!" Exclaimed Ashei to little avail, attempting to grapple the large soldier by the biceps. To her credit, she did better than any normal person would.

"Ahaha! And then what, tough guy? You gonna feed me to your kids?" Responded the second brawler, in a high-pitched shriek of a voice. "Or are they _too starving_ even for that?"

"Both of you, calm down," Spoke the hero in a lower tone of voice than he had with Shad, "what's the matter here?"

"He-" Began Vermont, before being cut off by the giggling young man he was one meagre constraint away from strangling to death.

"The big guy over here thinks he's better than everyone else – even the captain. He thinks that just because he has two _precious_ daughters to feed and protect, that none of the people _we've_ got at home matter! That we ought to just go home and die out of his way!"

Link, saying nothing and giving no visual response, simply turned his head to hear Vermont's side of this petty argument.

"He… Can't hold a sword straight. Can't shoot a bow right, and can only lift a pole for laundry. He takes his insecurities out on _me_ just because he can't protect his sickly old mother!"

"That's-"

"AHAHA! That's so _rich!_ We'll see what pure _wit_ you can come up with when I've cut-"

Silence followed the next few seconds, as only one fluid movement needed to be made – and everyone in the vicinity had a rough couple of moments trying to figure out what had happened. The giggling young soldier wearing leather had produced a sharp arrow from his archery training midway through his sentence, and jolted at the restrained veteran; but before he could even cross half the distance between them, his arrow had split cleanly in half and the two halves had fallen to Vermont's feet rather pathetically.

The sword of evil's bane left its stationary point in midair where Link was holding it, and it returned to his side. "That's enough of that." Said the hero incarnate despondently and disappointedly. "Ashei, sort these two out."

"Yes… Sir!" She answered, remembering Link's station. As she began to give an almost dazed pair of punishments to the two guilty guards, Link walked out of the limelight of the crowd and rejoined Shad, who had stayed near the back of the group – not really wanting to get in anyone's way.

As he walked by his side away from the dispersing group of guards, who themselves were exhausted by the unexpected action for the day, he simply stared at Link's face. His eyes were almost shut, and he sheathed his legendary sword without a second thought. Eventually, the scholar himself looked forwards towards Hyrule Castle's main gate, fractured as it was, and provided a deep sigh to the silent conversation.

"I don't know how we're going to cope without you and the princess, you know." Shad thought aloud, the encouragement that the princess had personally given him earlier that day on his mind. He felt almost remorseful at how that encouragement failed to fill him with any-

"Confidence, Shad."

"Hm?"

"Confidence. It's like your shield in a fight. With a shield alone you cannot win a fight, but you can also avoid losing it. A sword paired with it, and you're almost unstoppable."

"And the sword is?"

"Your ability to make decisions, I suppose. I'd wager you've got the sharpest decision-making sword around here."

Shad couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Now you just sound silly. But, I must say, you look awfully… ghostly when you're being profound. Almost like a skeleton come from another world."

At this, Link smirked and threw his eyebrows up a little in self-defense. " _I_ sound silly? What you just said was the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth!" Despite his teasing, Shad knew somewhere within him that what he had said hadn't just made brief sense within his own heart – but also within Link's too. Perhaps even more. After a minute or two of walking, directionless, towards the castle's main gate, Link put his hands on his hips and breathed a deep breath of warm, muddy air. "I'm parched. You know who I haven't seen in a while?"

"I do not."

"Telma."

"Telma? Really? She almost seems to be everywhere, these days. Helping everybody settle in as best she can and that kind of thing."

"I know, I know. I have _seen_ her. Just not on, erm… business, you know?"

"Ohh, I see your game. When you say 'I'm parched', what you're actually saying is 'buy me drinks'?"

Link laughed, waving his hands defensively, but at the same time with a look of a criminal who's glad to have been caught. "Well, not necessarily yes, but at the same time… I wouldn't complain." He paused for a moment, his chuckles moving him to a new idea. "What do you say I invite Zelda? Do you think that'd be fun?"

Not answering his question, Shad merely stopped and smiled to himself, shaking his head out of disbelief. "Have you ever heard the phrase; 'great minds think alike'?"

"Oh, really? Who?"

"Ashei, earlier today. I said she was crazy. Looks either you're both crazy or the world is crazy!"

"Maybe you're just crazy, Shad. But, hey, don't tell her, though. It'll be worth it just to see the look on her face when she sees Zelda at the table."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Alright! I'll go and find Zelda and see if she's up for it. I'll be at Telma's Bar in about… three hours. That okay with you?"

"That's fine, old chap. See you there." Closed Shad, waving drearily to his departing friend and standing alone in the mud between the training tent and Hyrule Castle's main gate. Three hours. Three days. Three parts of the Triforce, three golden goddesses with their eyes now staring down at him every day from their sacred realm, urging him to lead and protect their divine country with everything he had.

Three estranged members of a scholarly family. One, beyond the grave. One, beyond Hyrule.

And one beyond his depth.


End file.
